[QuadList] quads on a plane?

COURYHOUSE at aol.com COURYHOUSE at aol.com
Wed Jul 7 20:04:32 CDT 2010


unless they had live crews they had to have tape....
 
 
 
 
   
Stratovision
 
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Stratovision was an airborne television transmission _relay  system_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relay_system)  from aircraft flying at high 
altitudes. In 1945 the Glenn L.  Martin Co. and _Westinghouse Electric Corporation_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westinghouse_Electric_Corporation)  advocated 
television  coverage of small towns and rural areas as well as the large 
metropolitan  centers by fourteen aircraft that would provide coverage for 
approximately 78%  of the people in the _U.S.A._ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States)  This system has been used for domestic  broadcasting in the 
U.S.A, used by the U.S. military in _Vietnam_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam)  and other countries, and unsuccessfully  attempted by _pirate  
radio_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_radio)  operators.     
 
Contents
[_hide_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#) ]
    *   _1 Technology_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#Technology)   
    *   _2 Early  tests_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#Early_tests)   
    *   _3 Education by Stratovision_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#Education_by_Stratovision)   
    *   _4 Propaganda by Stratovision_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#Propaganda_by_Stratovision)   
    *   _4.1 Vietnam War_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#Vietnam_War)   
    *   _4.2 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of  Yugoslavia_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#1999_NATO_bombing_of_the_Federal_Repub
lic_of_Yugoslavia)   
    *   _4.3 War  in Iraq_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#War_in_Iraq)  
    *   _5 Pirate  television by Stratovision_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#Pirate_television_by_Stratovision)   
    *   _6 Stratovision: a temporary service_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#Stratovision:_a_temporary_service)   
    *   _7 Trivia_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#Trivia)   
    *   _8 References_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#References)   
    *   _9 External links_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#External_links)  
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=1) ] Technology
Because the broadcasting antenna for Stratovision is usually hung beneath 
the  aircraft in flight, it naturally has a great command of a _line of 
sight_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-of-sight_propagation) . Although 
transmission distances are  dependent upon atmospheric conditions, a transmitting 
antenna 30,000 feet  (9 km) above the earth's surface has a line of sight 
distance of  approximately 211 statute miles (340 km). 
A Stratovision 25 kW transmitter operating from 30,000 feet (9 km)  at 600 
megahertz will achieve a _field  intensity_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_intensity)  of 2 millivolts per meter for a 30-foot (9 m) high  
receiving antenna up to 238 miles (383 km) away from the aircraft. 
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=2) ] Early tests
Stratovision tests were undertaken between June 1948 to February 1949. The  
first phase was undertaken by the Glenn L. Martin Co. and _Westinghouse 
Electric Corporation_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westinghouse_Electric_Corporation)  using a twin-engine  _PV-2  aircraft_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Ventura)  flying at 25,000 feet (7.6 km) that transmitted with  
250 watts on 107.5 MHz and 5 kW on 514 MHz at _Baltimore_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore) , _Maryland_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland)  
so that recordings could be made at various  locations ranging from _Norfolk, 
Virginia_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk,_Virginia)  to _Pittsburgh_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh,_Pennsylvania) , _Pennsylvania_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania)  and _Boston_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston) , _Massachusetts_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts) . 
The second phase of testing was undertaken by these companies using a  
stripped-down _B-29  Superfortress_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-29_Superfortress)  flying at 30,000 feet (9.1 km). The plane was  equipped to receive a 
relay transmission from WMAR-TV, the Westinghouse  television studios in 
Baltimore, which was then relayed over a 5 kW video  transmitter and a 1 kW 
audio transmitter for reception on 82-88 MHz  with a television set tuned to 
Channel 6. 
The aircraft received its originating signals from circular dipoles 
attached  to a streamlined eight-foot (2.5 m) mast on top of the aircraft's 
vertical  tail fin. The retractable 28 feet (8.5 m) long broadcasting antenna hung  
vertically beneath the aircraft. It was composed of a two-element turnstile 
 array for video and a single-element circular dipole for sound  
transmissions. 
The receivers, transmitters and necessary air-conditioning were all powered 
 by the plane's engines using three 15 kVA, 500 Hz alternators. Without  
air conditioning the transmitters in the interior of the aircraft would have  
generated a temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) with 
an  outside air temperature of 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 4 degrees 
Celsius). 
On June 23, 1948 the system's airborne transmitter rebroadcast the 
_Republican National Convention_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_National_Convention) , being held in _Philadelphia, Pennsylvania_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania) , to the surrounding  nine-state area 
during the 9 to 10 pm _EDT_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Time_Zone_(North_America))  time period. As part of the activity, a receiver  was set 
up in a hall in _Zanesville, Ohio_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanesville,_Ohio) , a small city on the outskirts of the  broadcast area (to 
demonstrate to the invited newspaper reporters that the  system was capable of 
reaching "small town and farm homes")._[1]_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#cite_note-0)  
The tests were watched by many television viewers who sent in reception  
reports. From these reports it was calculated that Stratovision would require  
only eight relay planes to provide a transcontinental network and six 
additional  planes to provide coverage to 78 percent of the United States. Mr. 
C.E. Nobles  who was the head of Stratovision for Westinghouse said in his 
report: 

"The major technical problems of the system have been solved, and the  
commercial development awaits only the crystallization of public demand for  the 
expanded services offered by airborne broadcasting, application of the  
system by the radio industry to meet this demand, and the clarification of  
channel facilities available to make possible this application." 
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=3) ] Education by Stratovision
In 1961 a nonprofit organization, _Midwest Program on Airborne Television 
Instruction_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwest_Program_on_Airborne_Television_Instruction) ,  commenced a Stratovision service from the airfield of 
Purdue University. The  effort began as a three-year experiment funded by the 
_Ford  Foundation_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Foundation) . The 
program organized, produced and transmitted  educational television programs 
four days a week from a DC-6AB aircraft flying  at 23,000 feet (7,010 m) over 
the community of Montpelier in north central  Indiana. 
MPATI delivered its programs to television channels 72 (call sign KS2XGA) 
and  76 (KS2XGD) in the UHF band, by transmitting videotaped lectures from 
the  aircraft to an estimated potential 5,000,000 students in 13,000 schools 
and  colleges. The aircraft were equipped with two 2-inch (51 mm) videotape 
machines  and two UHF transmitters. 
When MPATI signed on it used an _"Indian head" test pattern card_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Head_test_card)  which was shown for  five 
minutes before and between programs. The service ended in 1968 when it  became 
embroiled in legal action over their application of Stratovision in a  
controversy with the Westinghouse company. 
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=4) ] Propaganda by Stratovision
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=5) ] Vietnam War
During the war in Vietnam, the _United States Navy_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy)  also used Stratovision television  technology 
when it flew Operation Blue Eagle from 1966 to 1972 over the  _Saigon_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saigon)   area of _South  Vietnam_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Vietnam) . The television programs were aimed at two 
audiences on two  channels. One was aimed at the general public and the other was 
intended for the  information and entertainment of US troops who were 
stationed in South  Vietnam. 
On January 3, 1966, _Broadcasting magazine_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Broadcasting_magazine&action=edit&redlink=1)  reported: 
Vietnam to get airborne TV
Two-channel service - one for  Vietnamese, other for U.S. servicemen - 
starts this  monthTelevision broadcasting in South Vietnam ... begins  January 
21 and it's going to be done from the air. Two airplanes, circling  10,000 to 
20,000 feet [3 to 6 km] above the ground, will broadcast on two  TV channels
—one transmitting Saigon government programs; the other U.S.  programs. The 
project is being handled by the _U.S. Navy_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Navy) . Also involved are the _U.S. Information Agency_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Information_Agency)  and the _Agency for International 
Development_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agency_for_International_Development) . Work on  modifying two _Lockheed_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Corporation)  _Super Constellations_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Constellation)  has been underway by Navy  electronics experts at _Andrews 
Air Force Base_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrews_Air_Force_Base)  ... The 
project is an  outgrowth of a broadcasting plane used by the Navy during 
the _Cuban_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba)   and _Dominican Republic_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic)  crises when both radio and  
television were beamed to home in those countries.
The same article went on to report that during the Baseball _World Series_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Series)  of October 1965 Stratovision 
had also been  used to bring the games to the troops. The aircraft had picked 
up _Voice  of America_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_America)  
radio broadcasts from _California_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California)  
and relayed the signal to a ground  broadcasting station. The Agency for 
International Development (AID) had  purchased through the military _Post 
Exchange Service_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Post_Exchange_Service&action=edit&redlink=1) , 1,000 monochrome, 23-inch  television sets modified 
to operate on a variety of domestic power sources, and  which had been 
airlifted to South Vietnam on December 28, 1965. They were to be  put into 
community facilities around Saigon. AID was also spending $2.4 million  to supply 
a total of 2,500 TV sets to South Vietnam. 
The entire project was under the control of Captain George C. Dixon, USN. 
He  claimed to be installing AM, FM, shortwave and TV transmitters on the 
aircraft  which would get their power from an onboard 100 kW diesel-fueled 
generator.  The planes would not only relay programs from film chain kinescopes 
and video  recorders, but they would also have live cameras to create their 
own live  programs. 
Ground transmissions would be received from the aircraft on TV sets tuned 
to  channel 11 for Armed Forces Television, and channel 9 for programs in  
Vietnamese. On radio the broadcasts would be tuned to 1000 kHz for AM and  
99.9 MHz for FM. 
On February 7, 1966, Broadcasting magazine reported that after working out 
a  number of technical problems that the first show on channel 9 would begin 
at  7:30 p.m. and feature South Vietnamese Prime Minister _Nguyen Cao Ky_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguyen_Cao_Ky)  and U.S. Ambassador _Cabot  
Lodge_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cabot_Lodge)  in a videotaped 
production, followed by channel 11 at  8 p.m. with _General Westmoreland_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Westmoreland)  introducing a two-hour program  
which incorporated one hour of the _Grand Ole  Opry_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ole_Opry)  filmed in _Nashville_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville,_Tennessee) , _Tennessee_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee) . After that the Vietnamese channel would be  seen for one and half hours 
a day and the American channel for three hours  daily. 
On February 8, _The  New York Times_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times)  reported: 
South Vietnamese Watch First TV Show
The story reported that the Vietnamese had to strain their ears because the 
 speakers on the TV sets would need to be amplified if they were going to 
be  heard by a room full of people watching THVN-TV channel 9. The American  
programming on NWB-TV channel 11 featured a line-up of future shows to  
include _Bonanza_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonanza) ; _Perry Mason_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Mason_(TV_series)) ; _The  Ed Sullivan Show_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ed_Sullivan_Show)  and _The Tonight Show 
Starring Johnny Carson_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tonight_Show_Starring_Johnny_Carson) . The main  feature was _Bob  Hope_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Hope)  in a two-hour special called Hollywood Salute to Vietnam,  
followed by half-an-hour of the Grand Ole Opry and another half-hour of  the 
quiz show _I've  Got a Secret_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I've_Got_a_Secret) . 
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=6) ] 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of  Yugoslavia
_EC-130 Commando Solo_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EC-130_Commando_Solo)  
was used in propaganda warfare  during _1999 NATO bombing of the Federal 
Republic of Yugoslavia_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_NATO_bombing_of_the_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia)   with questionable success. Production was 
very cheap, below local tv standards  in _Federal Republic of Yugoslavia_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia)  with slide 
show and  narration based news. Quality of reception was very poor and area of 
coverage  was rather small. 
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=7) ] War  in Iraq
More recently, the _EC-130 Commando Solo_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EC-130_Commando_Solo)  has been used to broadcast  information and propaganda 
for the United States over a variety of television  and radio frequencies. It 
has been used in several areas of operation, including  _Bosnia_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina)  and _Iraq_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq) . 
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=8) ] Pirate television by Stratovision
In 1969 news stories began to appear in the _United  Kingdom_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom)  that _Ronan  O'Rahilly_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronan_O'Rahilly) , the founder of the _pirate  radio_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_radio)  ship based service called _Radio  
Caroline_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Caroline) , which at that time was 
not on the air, was about to launch  _Caroline Television_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Television)  instead. His plans called for two  
aircraft, one in service and one as a relief, which would transmit commercial  
television programs to _Britain_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK)  by  
Stratovision. Although these stories continued for some time nothing became of  the 
project. To date no pirate radio or television service has ever operated by  
means of Stratovision. 
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=9) ] Stratovision: a temporary service
Today the Stratovision concept is used as a stop-gap measure where land 
based  transmitters are not possible and where large areas of territory need to 
be  served with a television program. Due to the advent of _fibre optic_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibre_optic)  _cable  television_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_television)  systems and _direct broadcast satellite_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_broadcast_satellite)  services, 
Stratovision has  become unnecessary as a permanent means of television delivery. 
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=10) ] Trivia
The 1987 film _Riders of the Storm_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Riders_of_the_Storm&action=edit&redlink=1)  (also known as "The American 
Way")  used a similar concept, with a group of Vietnam Veterans running a 
pirate TV  station (S&M TV) from a B-29 that was constantly in flight. 
[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=11) ] References
 
    1.  _^_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision#cite_ref-0)  _Air  & 
Space_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_&_Space)  magazine, Vol 22 No 3, 
August 2007, "Broadcast Bomber",  p. 18 

[_edit_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratovision&action=edit&section=12) ] External links
    *   _MPATI history page_ (http://lib.umd.edu/NPBA/papers/mpati.html)  
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